FORUM MINISTERS HOLD FIRM ON FIJI ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000287 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR FJ SUBJECT: FORUM MINISTERS HOLD FIRM ON FIJI ELECTIONS Classified By: CDA Ted Mann per 1.4 (B) and (D) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Pacific Island Forum Foreign Ministers who met with Interim PM Bainimarama July 15-16 delivered a unified, firm message that they expect Bainimarama to fulfill his promise to Forum Leaders to hold elections no later than March 2009. Ministers were reportedly "shocked" at statements by the Chairman of Fiji's Electoral Commission who said all election preparations had been put on hold pending a decision on future electoral reforms. A statement to the press by Bainimarama that the Ministers "understood" the need to have reforms before elections take place is simply untrue. Ministers agreed that certain reforms may be worthy of consideration, but firmly and repeatedly stressed that election reform was secondary in importance to adhering to the 3/09 election commitment. End Summary. A Very Timely Set of Meetings -------------- ¶2. (C) The High Commissioners of Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand briefed representatives of the U.S. and the EU on the just concluded Forum Ministerial Contact Group meetings in Fiji on July 17. Peter Eafeare, the PNG High Commissioner, told us the meetings were extremely useful and timely in light of the recent signals given by the Interim Government that elections will not take place as planned by March 2009. Eafeare said the IG approach was quite blunt - Bainimarama and others repeatedly alleged that through visa and other sanctions, Australia and New Zealand have hindered IG attempts to "move Fiji forward." A more understanding attitude from Forum nations is necessary if Fiji is to make the kind of progress the Forum countries say they want. The Ministers did not take the bait or get into a "tit for tat" blame game. Instead they repeatedly stressed the need for Fiji to fulfill its commitment to hold elections and stated they were willing to assist should Fiji show it is making a good faith effort to meet it promises. In response to IG complaints about visa sanctions, Australian Foreign Minister Smith told IG officials the choice was the IG's - if the IG wants visa sanctions to be removed, then it should hold an election. Bainimarama, Electoral Commission Chair Say Elections are Secondary to Political Reforms -------------- ¶3. (C) Australian High Commissioner James Batley noted that Bainimarama's prepared remarks to Ministers offered nothing new. He read from what appears to be the same letter he had sent to Forum Chair Tonga a few weeks ago. (Note: Bainimarama sent virtually the same letter to Secretary Rice.) In the question and answer period, Bainimarama was more revealing. In response to a question from FM Smith, Bainimarama said that the March 2009 election timetable was secondary to the enactment of political reforms. Political reforms, Bainimarama later explained, refer to sweeping changes in Fiji mindsets and institutions, not merely a change in the electoral system. Bainimarama further argued that the Fiji military is the only institution capable of seeing such reforms through. ¶4. (C) Batley said Ministers were "shocked" by statements by the Chair of Fiji's Electoral Commission, M.K. Sahu Khan. Khan told Ministers that the elections office would not undertake any electoral preparations until planned reforms were enacted. After the reforms are put in place another 15 months of preparations are needed before elections can be held, he said. Ministers were also taken aback by the paltry budget given the Elections Office and the fact that the Ministry of Finance has still not released funds needed to staff up the office (currently the office has about five employees). ¶5. (C) Batley said that when Ministers inquired into the timeline for the reforms mentioned by Bainimarama, Khan and others, they never got a clear answer. It appeared to Ministers, said Batley, that the IG is still making things up as it goes along and has no firm plan on how to push through reforms or prepare the country for elections. Batley noted that New Zealand FM Peters and others agreed that certain reforms might be worthy of consideration, but stressed the need to pursue reforms within the constitution and hold elections by March. Bainimarama's statement to the press that Ministers "understood" that reforms need to be in place SUVA 00000287 002 OF 002 before elections can be held is untrue. "That's something he (Bainimarama) just made up," said Batley. Meetings with Qarase and Others -------------- ¶6. (C) Batley said the meetings with deposed PM Qarase, former opposition leader Beddoes and National Federation Party leader Rae were all extremely useful, as was a conference call with Commonwealth envoy Sir Paul Reeves. All of the leaders are more than willing to engage in dialogue with Bainimarama and the interim regime, but all set strict conditions for such talks. Qarase, for example, told Ministers that he is willing to entertain changing the electoral system, but only under the terms of the 1997 constitution. He will not accept any changes in the constitution made prior to an election. Samoa Plays A Key Role; A Unified Group of Forum Ministers -------------- ¶7. (C) New Zealand Acting HC Caroline McDonald stressed the important role played by Samoan PM Tuila'epa Sailela Malielegaoi during the meetings. The Prime Minister pointedly noted to Bainimarama that he had "heard you clearly" when Bainimarama made his commitment to hold elections by March 2009 and that he and the other Forum leaders expected that commitment to be met. Tuila'epa's seniority enabled him to deliver a very clear message to the IG. Batley and Eafeare agreed that all the Forum Ministers present (from Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, PNG and Samoa) presented a very united front. None appeared to be swayed by IG arguments that elections might need to be delayed. PNG HC Eafeare said that while some leaders, including his own PM, have at times passed relatively conciliatory messages to Bainimarama, he was confident that Leaders at the upcoming Forum meeting in Niue would deliver the same firm message as this Ministerial Contact Group. Draft Recommendations to Leaders in the Works -------------- ¶8. (C) The High Commissioners said a set recommendations to Forum Leaders was in the process of being drafted. While they couldn't divulge the precise contents, the High Commissioners noted that the Ministers are keen to have the Forum reassert its role in pressing Fiji toward elections. The Ministers want the Forum to play a role in any future dialogue among political leaders in Fiji, perhaps taking on a monitoring or oversight function. The Ministers will also recommend that the Forum take "additional measures" should Fiji fail to honor its commitments. Those measures remain unspecified and will depend on actual future circumstances. Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) As has been the case in all Forum-sponsored meetings between the IG and Forum Leaders or Ministers, the Ministerial Contact Group delivered a powerful, united message to Bainimarama about the need to fulfill his promise to hold elections next year. Forum Leaders are likely to deliver the same tough message in Niue next month. Unfortunately, Bainimarama seems determined not to listen. Mann